Centrifugal self-cleaning snagger



June 1, 1955 J. J. STEFANISZYN 3,186,553

CENTRIFUGAL SELF-CLEANING SNAGGER Filed Oct. 29, 1962v INVENTOR JOHN J.STEFANISZYN A TTORNE of the take-up reel.

United States Patent 3,186,653 CENTRIFUGAL SELF-CLEANING SNAGGER JohnJoseph Stefaniszyn, Pointe Claire, Quebec, Canada, assignor to NorthernElectric Company Limited, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Filed Oct. 29, 1962,Ser. No. 233,615 11 Claims. (Cl. 242-25) This invention relatesgenerally to snagger plates for strand take-up mechanisms and moreparticularly to snagger plates which are self-cleaning.

In the continuous production of strand in which the strand is wound inpredetermined lengths on successive .mechanism and by guiding the strandfrom the full reel to the empty reel. A snagger plate having peripheralsnagging members or teeth is mounted in the take-up mecha- .nismadjacent each reel for rotation therewith so that the strand is snaggedand gripped by a tooth of each snagger plate as the strand is shiftedfrom the one reel to the other. A cutting blade positioned between thesnagger plates severs the strand to separate the strand on the full reelfrom that being wound on the empty reel so that the full reel may bestopped and removed from the take-up mechanism. Gripping of one severedstrand end by the snagger plate on the full reel is maintained untiljust before the full reel is removed and gripping of the other severedstrand end by the other snagger plate maintains a pulling force on thestrand being wound on the empty reel.

The first snagger plates of the prior art had fixed teeth cooperatingwith the plate periphery to form tapered gripping slots in which thestrand became wedged and from which the strand had to be pulled manuallyfor removal Frequently, the strand became so tightly wedged in one ofthe gripping slots that it had to be pried loose. This eventuallyresulted in damage to the snagger plate and, in any event, demandedmanual attention which made such snagger plates unsuitable for use vinconjunction with automatic take-up reel loading and i unloadingarrangements.

snagger'plate was brought to a stop. The teeth were biased to the openposition by spring means until the snagger plate was rotated whereuponcentrifugal force overcome the biasing action of the spring means andclosed theteeth into gripping'position, the teeth being counter-weightedfor that purpose. The critical speed 'for this centrifugal action wassomewhat less than the minimum operating speed so that the teeth wouldbe in gripping position when the operating speed was reached and wouldbe open by the time the snagger plate and reel came to a stop. Insofaras itfreed the strand ends upon coming to rest thisself-cleaning snaggerplate was an improvement over the fixed-tooth snagger plate. However,

,it was still not satisfactory for use with automatic reel handlingarrangements because the severed strand end often became entangled withthe teeth due to the centrifrugal or whipping action on the loosenedstrand end as the snagger plate continued to rotate before coming torest.

A snagger plate generally has a snagging member mounted thereon and isadapted to be mounted in a takeup mechanism adjacent the flange of atake-up reel. It

has been discovered according to the invention that a supe- 3,186,653Patented June 1, 1965 rior snagger plate is obtained when the snaggingmember is pivotally mounted on the plate so that a free end of themember, which is movable into engagement with the periphery of the plateupon rotation of the latter above the critical speed, is movable axiallyof the plate on the side thereof remote from the reel.

When the snagging member in the snagger plate of the invention moves tothe open or non-gripping position to release the strand, the free end ofthe member moves from its position of engagement with the plateperiphery to a position which is axially spaced therefrom on the side ofthe plate remote from the take-up reel. This movement of the free end istoward the severed end of the strand, which movement reduces the lengthof strand extending beyond the snagging member and increases the lengthof strand between the member and the reel. Corresponding changes alsooccur in the centrifugal forces on the strand on either side of thesnagging member thereby decreasing the whipping of the free end of thestrand, which whipping tends to entangle the strand end with thesnagging member, and increasing the force pulling the strand end clearof the snagger plate.

In addition, broken pieces of strand are thrown clear of the snaggerplate by centrifugal force because the snagging member in the openposition does not overlie the periphery of the plate. Thus, the snaggerplate according to the invention has much improved self-cleaningcharacteristics than prior snagger plates of this type.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described below withreference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a simplified view of a strand take-up mechanism utilizingsnagger plates;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view taken partly in section along line 22 ofFIG. 3 of a snagger plate according to this invention mounted in atake-up mechanism; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 in FIG. 2.

In the simplified strand take-up mechanism as shown in FIG. 1, a pair oftake-up reels 10 and 11 for a strand 12 are mounted on arbors 13 andhave a pair of snagger plates 14 mounted for rotation therewith. As itis advanced from a processing station, the strand 12 is distributed backand forth between the flanges of one reel by a strand guide 15 untilthat reel is full as represented by reel 10. The guide 15 then shifts tothe empty reel 11 drawing the strand 12 over the flanges of the reelswhere it is gripped by the snagger plates 14. A knife 16, positionedbetween the snagger plates, cuts the strand 12 so that the full reel 10may be stopped and removed from its arbor 13. The snagger plates 14firmly grip the strand ends to prevent premature unwinding from the fullreel 10 and to provide the pulling force necessary to initiate windingof the strand 12 onto the empty reel 11.

A snagger plate according to the invention is shown mounted on a take-upmechanism in FIGS. 2 and 3 The snaggerplate 14 comprises a circularplate 17 rotatably mounted on a supportls of the take-up mechanism by a,shaft 19 securely fastened to or integral with a boss 20 on the plate.A pulley 21 fastened to the shaft 19 provides the driving connectionbetween the snagger plate 14 and a drive motor (not shown). A secondboss 22 ,on the opposite side of the plate 17 has a tapered axial bore23 in which is removaibly disposed a pintle 24 for supporting one sideof a take-up reel 10. T hev other side of the-reel 10 is rotatablysupported by an arbor 25' which .ber and isadapted to be compressedbetween the rigid ring 26 and the flange 28 of the reel 1% when thelatter is positioned on the pintle 24 and the arbor 25.

symmetrically arranged around the periphery of .the-

plate 17 are a plurality of L-shaped snagging members 29 as seen in FIG.2, each of which has two leg portions 30 and 31. The leg portion 30 isradially disposed on 'the side of the plate 17 remote from'the reel andthe leg portion 3 l-extendsaxialy through an aperture 3-2 to the otherside of the plate 17 where it is pivotally mounted at its free end on apin 33 supported by tabs 33a. The pivotal axisof the'snagging member 29as defined by the pin 33 is perpendicular both to the rotational axis ofthe snagger plate 14 and to the radius defined by the leg portion 3%).The aperture 3-2 is sufficiently large to: permit limited pivotalmovement of the snagging member29'whereby the free end of the legportion 39 is axially movable relative to the plate 17. In-

tegral with the free end. of the leg portion 30 is a tooth 34 which isadapted to contact the periphery of the'plate 1'7 and form therewith atapered 'strand gripping slot 35 (FIGURE 3) when the snagging member 29is in the solid-line position shown in FIGURE 2. A peripheral rim36ensures intimate contact between the tooth 34 and' the plate 17.-

Threadably extending through the. plate 17 from the 7 side thereofadjacent the reel 10 and associated with each snagging member'29 is atubular housing 37 having a plunger 38 reciprocally disposed therein.The plunger 4i, position extending beyond the periphery of the plate anddefining with the periphery of the plate a slot which lies beyond theperiphery of the plate and diverges in the direction of rotation of theplate, whereby a strand laid across the periphery of the plate will besnagged in said slot.

2. A snagger plate for strands comprising a rotatable plate, pivot meansmounted on the plate and having'a pivot axis which extends at asubstantial angle to the axis of rotation of the plate, a snaggingmember having a free end and mounted on said pivot means for pivotalmovement between a normal position in Which said free end is spacedaxially fromthe plate "and a snagging posi tion in which it is incontact with the' plate, the snag- 38 extends from the housing 37 sothat its free end isincontact with the leg portion of a member 29. Aspring 3 retained in the housing 37 by a plug 40, acts against the innerendof the plunger 33, to urge the mag ging member 29 to the open ornon-gripping dotted-line position of FIGURE 2.

A peripheral flange 41, projecting from the plate 17'to. the peripheryof the reel flange 23, shroudsthe space between the 'snagger platel tand the reel 10 to prevent entry of the strand therein.

When the 'snagger plate 14' is atrest, the snagging members 29 are urgedto the open position shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2 by the springloaded plungers.

38. In this position, the teeth 34 are axially spaced from the peripheryof the plate 17; Upon rotation of the snagger plate 14 above thecritical speed,centrifugal force. acts on the snagging members '29 topivot them v ging member adopting said snagging: position by the actionof centrifugal force thereon upon rotation of the plate above a criticalspeed, said free end of the snagging member in said snagging positionextending beyond the periphery of the plate .and defining with theperiphery .of the plate. a slot which'lies beyond the periphery of theplate and diverges in the direction of rotation of the plate, whereby astrand laid acrossthe periphery of the plate will be snagged in saidslot.

3.. A snagger plate as definedin claim 1 comprising means fordisengaging the free end of the snagging member from the plate uponcessation of rotation of the latter. i

4. A snagger plate as defined-in claim'3 whe'rein 'said means is springoperated. V

5. A snagger plate as defined in claim 1 'wherein the plate has anaperture communicating with both sides thereof, and the snagging memberis substantially 'L-shaped with one leg portion disposed radially on theside of the plateremote from the reel and with the other leg portionextending through the aperture, the one leg portion having. said freeend, the end of the' other leg portion which extends through theaperturebeing piv- -otally mounted on the plate on 'the side'thereofadjacent about their pins 33 against the action of the spring loaded 2plungers38 to bring the teeth 34 into contact with the rim 36 on theperiphery of the plate17 to form the strand gripping. slots 35. It ispreferable that the arrangement of mernbers 2 and spring 39 be such thatthe teeth 34 contact the rim 36 before the snagger plate reaches the,minimum operating speed. Thus, on deceleration. but before the snaggerplate 14 comes to rest, the plungers a 33 overcome.thediminishingcentrifugal force and urge the snagging members29 toward their openpositions;

This ensures that the strandends will be thrown clear ofthesnagger plate14 by: centrifugal forceand cannot 7 possibly remainQtr-apped betweenthe teeth 34 and rim 36..

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A snagger plate for astrand take-up mechanisrn'in which a take-upreel is rotatablyand drivably mounted, comprising a plate adapted to bemounted on the take-up mechanism adjacent a flange of the reel forrotation therejwith,ppivot means mounted on the plate and having .a

pivot axis which extends at a substantial angleto the axis of rotationof the plate, a snagging member'having a free end and mounted 'on saidpivot means for pivotal movement between a normal position in which saidfree'end is spaced axially from the plate on the side thereof remotefrom the reel and a snagging position'in which it is in. contact withtheplate, the snagging member adoptingsaidrsnagging position by the actionof centrifugal force thereon upon rotation, of the plate abovea-critical speed, said-free end of the snaggingmemberin said snaggingdriving means comprises a rubber spacera the reel. 7

6. A' snagger plate as defined in'claim 5 comprisingspring-operatedmeans mounted on the plate and engaging the one legportion to urge 'the'free end thereof from engagement with the plateupon cessation of rotation of driving means mounted. 'on the" plate andadapted to .drivingly connect the plate andlthe reel.

10. A snagger plate. as defined in claim 9* wherein the driving means isadapted to be compressed between the plate and the reel flange.

.11. A snagger plate as defined in claim 10 wherein the RefereneesCitedbythe Examiner- UNITED. STATES PATENTS 'Mnnvmi STEIN, Primary 1Examiner. v

RUssELL c. 'MAD R,-E. m;iher,- l r

1. A SNAGGER PLATE FOR A STRAND TAKE-UP MECHANISM IN WHICH A TAKE-UPREEL IS ROTATABLY AND DRIVABLY MOUNTED, COMPRISING A PLATE ADAPTED TO BEMOUNTED ON THE TAKE-UP MECHANISM ADJACENT A FLANGE OF THE REEL FORROTATION THEREWITH, PIVOT MEANS MOUNTED ON THE PLATE AND HAVING A PIVOTAXIS WHICH EXTENDS AT A SUBSTANTIAL ANGLE TO THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF THEPLATE, A SNAGGING MEMBER HAVING A FREE END AND MOUNTED ON SAID PIVOTMEANS FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN A NORMAL POSITION IN WHICH SAID FREEEND IS SPACED AXIALLY FROM THE PLATE ON THE SIDE THEREOF REMOTE FROM THEREEL AND A SNAGGING POSITION IN WHICH IT IS IN CONTACT WITH THE PLATE,THE SNAGGING MEMBER ADOPTING SAID SNAGGING POSITION BY THE ACTION OFCENTRIFUGAL FORCE THEREON UPON ROTATION OF THE PLATE ABOVE A CRITICALSPEED, SAID FREE END OF THE SNAGGING MEMBER IN SAID SNAGGING POSITIONEXTENDING BEYOND THE PERIPHERY OF THE PLATE AND DEFINING WITH THEPERIPHERY OF THE PLATE A SLOT WHICH LIES BEYOND THE PERIPHERY OF THEPLATE AND DIVERGES IN THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION OF THE PLATE, WHEREBY ASTRAND LAID ACROSS THE PERIPHERY OF THE PLATE WILL BE SNAGGED IN SAIDSLOT.